Norwich games company signs deal with maker of Monopoly and Mouse Trap

Many of us will have fond – or not so fond – memories of gathering around the kitchen table for a board game over Christmas, on quiet Sundays or rainy school holiday afternoons.

And now a Norfolk company is helping to bring those experiences back to life after signing a deal with the maker of some of the world's best known games.

Zatu Games, based in Taverham, has secured a contract with Hasbro – the brand behind Twister, Monopoly, Operation and Ker-Plunk among others.

The American brand has more than 40 years' experience in the toy and board game industry and its games have been a staple in households on both sides of the Atlantic for decades.

Some 500 of its products will be added to the 12,000 board games and collectibles in Zatu Games's range.

Simon Budd, who founded Zatu Games with wife Treena, expects the Hasbro deal to bring in an extra £250,000 of revenue a year.

'Hasbro is such a mammoth brand with worldwide recognition, so we knew that bringing them on board with Zatu would be a huge achievement,' he said.

'For a company like us which started from such small beginnings, being able to say we sell Hasbro games is something to be proud of.'

From a team of four people when it was founded in 2016, Zatu Games has grown to a workforce of more than 20, based at Longs Business Centre.

Its deal with Hasbro and an earlier tie-up with Warhammer have opened the door to a broader range of customers, away from its initial focus on niche games and 'hardcore' boardgamers.

The company has partnerships with libraries, schools and board game societies, and recently supported Herefordshire Boardgamers Group with a 24-hour game-a-thon in aid of mental health charity Mind.

With its busiest season of the year approaching, the company is looking for warehouse space and offices to aid its expansion.

Mr Budd said: 'I absolutely love the face we were able to do all of this from our head office in Norwich. We already have a small market overseas but with deals like this, we hope to conquer the international board game world very soon.'

Zatu Games offers a click-and-collect service from its shop in Taverham and international delivery, as well as store fronts on Amazon and eBay.